Fourth of July

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Our street celebrated the birthday of our country with a cookout. Neighbor Joyce met the new couple who moved into the house next to hers two days before and invited them to join us, but they already had other plans.

Jeff brought his gas grill and cooked for us. We supply our own meat (hot dogs and hamburgers), and he mans the grill. A special treat was his roasted peppers, cooked before the meats. Our contributions to the meal included chips and dip, pasta salad, lettuce salad, potato salad, fruits with a cream cheese sauce, carrot cake, chocolate cookies, and lemon milk sherbet.

Shawn took a photo of us at the table, which was better than any I could have taken. She offered to send it to me, for which I was grateful.

All the women offered to do dishes, but I prefer to do it alone. After everyone left, it took only 15 minutes to load the dishwasher and wash things that shouldn’t go in.

Later in the evening, Joyce at her house and I at mine, waited expectantly for the fireworks to begin. She watches from an upstairs window, and I sit on my front porch. For the 10 years I’ve been here, two households up the mountain set off a barrage of sparkling explosives. This year there were none!! We don’t know the people and have no idea why they didn’t do it this year. Shawn mentioned earlier that fireworks were to be done three nights in a row, the three neighboring towns taking turns. None of us went to see them. If we were disappointed, it serves us right for expecting a free show year after year! I think all the neighbors enjoyed our meal together.

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Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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28 thoughts on “Fourth of July”

  1. We had the opposite here. No one got together for a meal, but the fireworks went on for about 3 hours. Everyone in the neighborhood who likes them did them for the rest of us.

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      1. That is so wonderful. We live in a similar community where everyone looks out for each other and we always have fun together.

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  4. That sounds like a lovely gathering. I heard that many fireworks displays were cancelled this year… some because of expense (most fireworks come from China), and some because of dangerously dry conditions. Years ago, my husband and I were in upstate New York over the 4th and saw a fireworks display near a forest. It was fun to watch but it made me very nervous.

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    1. My children and I were usually visiting my parents on the 4th of July. Husband John occasionally went with his family to the ocean while I was away. Fireworks were over the ocean, and spectators on the beach.

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  5. Well, if it makes you feel better, we did absolutely nothing this year. Dave doesn’t care for them and I was tired and didn’t feel like asking him to take me anywhere. We ended up watching a couple of Nicholas Cage movies.
    I’m happy you had company and good food!! The picture is great!

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  6. How pretty it all looks! Our neighbors here and there do fireworks, but this year, I heard them but did not go outside to check–too hot! Randy’s smash burgers were the extent of the “celebration” part.

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  7. This looks like a nice get-together for the gang in your neighborhood, just as it always is. I have the fireworks in my neighborhood; in fact they went past the 11:45 p.m. curfew last night, well into the night, maybe 1:30 p.m. One more night of kaboom tonight, though people have been setting them off since Memorial Day weekend.

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      1. You’re lucky! Our former governor said “why let Ohio get all the revenue when Michiganders cross the state line to buy big fireworks – we’ll allow big fireworks here!” Big mistake – they are very loud and very dangerous! One of local meteorologists lost his eye as a firecracker didn’t work and he was examining it to see if it was a dud and it exploded in his left eye.

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  8. You are so lucky together neighbourhood for 4th July celebration. So beautiful pic. Celebration without fireworks. God bless you.

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  9. Always convenient when you can stay on your own street, avoid driving in traffic, hauling chairs, blankets, etc., for fireworks. Too bad the usual show didn’t happen this year but you enjoyed a memorable day regardless!🇺🇸♥️🤍💙

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